All posts tagged: save

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina) Even though Lev Tolstoy claimed the opposite, we can find similarities in unhappiness of financially broken families—both of which share a common starting point. After analyzing 17 Seasons of the popular Swedish TV Show LyxFällan (Luxury Trap in English), I did draw some conclusions about common money spending habits, lifestyles, and attitudes towards money. If you can relate to at least three of the following economical letdowns, consider yourself warned… Here is a list of the most popular issues that landed people in LyxFällan. No savings – The most common feature that everybody shared was having zero savings. This included people with an income of $2000-$6000 per month. No matter how small or large your income is, save at least 10%. No concept of expenses and loans – Knowing how to budget and control your economy is one ability that most people from LyxFällan did not have. Here you will find The Top 5 Swedish Apps that will help you …

A triathlete – is a person who doesn’t understand that one sport is hard enough. So… congratulations! You are one of them! Being that you’re here, you’re probably on your way to completing your first triathlon. And I’m sure you already noticed that this hobby/sport/lifestyle is pretty expensive. Read-on and learn useful tips on how to minimize costs of triathlon equipment as a beginner. Follow the links and click on images to easily shop the equipment you need for the best price we could find. If we consider the sports associated with a triathlon—swimming, biking, and running—the expenses triple. Instead of one sport, it’s three—making it more difficult to train. Before buying equipment, consider some options. Everything started in water – Life on the planet Earth began in water, and so does a triathlon. In this article we will try to cover all possible expenses you might have during the preparation and participation of a triathlon race. Swimming Triathletes wear everything they need from the get-go. After all, transition-time counts! Wetsuits If you’re competing in …

(on the main photo Evelyn Rose, // photo by J. Adam Fenster) In 1970, Stanford University Walter Mischel and Ebbe B. Ebbesen conducted an experiment that they called the “Marshmallow Test”. They gathered about 600 kids (avg. age 4.5) and basically tempted them with a marshmallow, or some form of candy or cake. It went something like this: a child is left alone in a room having no distractions whatsoever. A marshmallow is then placed in front of him/her and the child is given two options: to eat the marshmallow straightaway or wait fifteen minutes and receive a second marshmallow as an award. So, what does it have to do with financial independence you would ask… Guess how many of them waited? Many of you who follow Life as an Investment either dream to achieve financial independence, or are already on their way. According to Robert Kyosaki (read about his books here), “You are wealthy as long as you can live the lifestyle you’re used to—without having to work.” Basically, Kiyosaki is trying to tell us that …

If you’re like me, a young professional making a decent income and living in Scandinavia, chances are you’re not as clever as you think; that is, with your finances. You’re probably hitting the nearest convenience store on your way to work and picking up a yummy latte, or heading out for lunch on occasion. In any case, you probably also consider the money left over from your salary as “savings.” The reality is that “savings” should be invested wisely and grow, grow, grow. Eating out and consuming lattes do not pay off. For instance, you would save roughly 7000 SEK per year (about 760 EUR) “if” you didn’t stop for that latte everyday. At ten percent annually, that 7000 can grow to 10,000 SEK in only five years. How many “obvious” saving methods can you accomplish? Let’s not kid ourselves, saving is hard work. Unless you’re an accountant, and love being one (who in their right mind would do this anyway? :-), you most likely hate spreadsheets. Imagine constantly hunting for a better price, or entering all your receipts onto a spreadsheet every month. Or, evaluating your budget goals every time you make a purchase. It can be time-consuming and frustrating. Investing, on the other hand, is another …

In Sweden, declaration (tax returns) time has come again. Every citizen earning an income, recently received a large yellow form from a local taxation office reminding us to submit all sources of revenue, as well as expenditures. This year my income consisted of the usual source—my job and the firm that I own. However, there was a new entry included among my income sources—revenue from rising stock shares! The value of my portfolio rose 19% from last year. Smart girl! How smart women invested in 2013? “How smart women invest,” for me, was an interesting experience. Back in November of 2013, a friend of mine invited me to a seminar. It was more or less a breakfast meeting comprised of smart women, and Barbara Stewart, a researcher and portfolio manager from Canada, travelled here to Stockholm to share her financial insight and wisdom. The event was organized by NASDAQ OMX. Barbara, an elegant and charming woman, revealed to us information about what motivates smart women to invest, and how they make an investment decision. For her research, she talked to 100 …